Smiling Practice
by Ya Boy Guzma
Summary: Victor prefers it when Marnie is true to herself. One-shot, Victor/Marnie (SmileShipping?), T for coarse language.


Motostoke could only be described, in all its sprawling smokey glory, as bloody chaos.

Victor had come to this conclusion quite some time ago, the first time he had visited the city and laid eyes on its many mechanical marvels and smog-covered streets. The sounds of train horns and whistles, the smells of incense and food from the market competing with the acrid smog of nearby factories, and the repetitive thudding and clanking that could be heard and felt beneath his feet as he walked, the rhythmic pounding of machinery buried beneath the earth and brickwork. Somehow, Motostoke felt alive, felt like it had a heartbeat. And this just made the chaos even more exciting.

This was the first proper time he had come back to the city since becoming Champion, and for all his prior visits the thrill of being surrounded by the humdrum never quite wore off on him. He was failing miserably to smile as he stepped off the central lift, catching himself from tripping as the giant cogwheel almost violently through him off onto Motostoke's upper level. It seemed far too long since his first visit, when he and his then-Sobble faceplanted off of the lift, and so much had happened since with Zacian, Rose, Eternatus and the Champion match against Leon.

His Inteleon's Poké Ball clenched firmly in his right hand as he walked, Victor was in his old clothes once again, the red top and blue jeans he had been wearing when he left Postwick to start his journey. Using his Champion winnings to buy cool sunglasses and fancy clothing didn't exactly help him go incognito, and paradoxically it seemed nobody in Motostoke recognised him in his old clothes. Not that he minded being out of the limelight, however. It certainly made it a lot easier to visit people.

Victor looked up from his walk and stopped, chuckling to himself as he realised he had nearly walked right past his destination. The towering red brick mass of the Budew Drop Inn, with its weirdly wacky green sign, was right there in front of him. Hop had been very clear to head there if Victor wanted to catch her for a surprise, although the fact that he disappeared instantly without explaining anything else as to why she was there was one hundred percent Hop all over.

"It'd be rude not to check in now, Inteleon, wouldn't it?" he said partly to his Pokémon and partly to himself, before stepping through the doors. As he walked past reception, placing the Poké Ball back on his belt and running his hand through his hair to tidy up, the receptionist looked up at him. A smile, and a quick thumbs up in Victor's direction before returning to his computer, was a much better welcome than the previous visit, Team Yell had overrun the place.

Pacing the corridor as he emerged from the lift, Victor inwardly cursed Hop for his standard ability to forget the important details like room number, before he heard an unforgettable chittering cry coming from the room on his right. He probably should have knocked and been a gentleman; Gloria was the one who would normally barge in anyway unannounced, loudly shouting and swearing as usual. But Victor's excitement got him carried away, and his desire to surprise, so he opened the door ready to shout a greeting...

Boy, was he the one in for a surprise.

On the bed sat the source of the cry, an unmistakeable Pokémon in any corner of Galar. Morpeko were rare, often due to their difficulty in taming, and this one sat in its Full Belly form with a cheerful smile and big, gleaming eyes full of adoration for its owner. And she...

"Watch this," Marnie said to her Morpeko, abrupt as always.

Leaning in the doorframe, Victor couldn't help but smile seeing her, with her jet black fringe nearly covering her right eye, her big black jacket and studded boots looking amazing and yet a complete contrast against her trademark cute pink dress. It had felt like ages since he had seen one of his closest rivals, and one of the few Trainers whose strength and determination he genuinely admired. But as she stood facing Morpeko, Victor was almost as curious as the little rodent, and stayed silent because of that. What was she planning?

Then she did it. Reaching up, Marnie took a delicate finger of each hand and drew up the corners of her mouth. It took him a second but Victor realised what she was doing, as Morpeko churred in happiness and clapped its little pass together; she was making herself smile. Marnie, goth alternative queen and Dark-type trainer extraordinaire, was using her Morpeko for smiling practice. What in the world?

Her hands dropped to her side almost instantly afterwards, and when Marnie spoke she was holding herself as if embarrassed. But there was something else in her voice- was that sadness? "Back at the Semi Finals... so many people were out there cheerin' for me. It made me really happy... I wanna give 'em a proper smile."

Victor couldn't stay quiet. Not after hearing that, and the brittle edge in that tone. "You don't have to pretend to be something you ain't for them, Marnie."

"She turned, startled, and Morpeko started in alarm. "V-victor?!"

He waved, nonchalantly, not moving from the doorframe. "I came to check in with you, and surprise you, but now I'm here I don't like hearing that from you. What's wrong?"

The goth girl covered her head in her hands and shook her head. "Th-this is too embarrassin'! Come on Morpeko!"

"Hey hey, no no no!" Victor protested, as Marnie tried to flee. He quickly shut the door behind him and rushed straight to the bed, taking a seat as Morpeko budged up to his right to make room from him. As she nearly successfully passed him he was able to catch Marnie's delicate hand and spin her, light as a feather, so she tripped on her big black boots and bounced onto a spot on the end of the bed next to him with an embarrassed flush. "What's going on here Marnie? You don't have to hide anything from me!"

She looked up with those piercing green eyes, cheeks still slightly red. "You're not gonna let me leave until I tell, are ya?"

"Absolutely not! If growing up with Hop and Gloria taught me one thing, it's patience!"

Marnie stifled a laugh, but Victor could see there was some light in her eyes. "I see why Morpeko likes you. You're just as fuckin' stubborn as her."

He smiled, and reached up with the hand that caught her to place it on her shoulder, looking down at her wide-eyed Pokémon. "Great minds think alike, right Morpeko?"

"Peko!"

"Exactly. But I'm sure she's not that stubborn to prevent me from asking this." He looked back up and met Marnie's gaze, realising from the proximity just how deep they were. "Why do you think you have to fake a smile for people, Marnie?"

The goth paused, for a long breath in, and then shook her head, looking down. "... Fine. You got me. I..." She looked up and met Victor's gaze again. "My match against you was one of the happiest days of my whole damn life. People cheered for me like I ain't used to, and it wasn't like my stupid brother's Yell club coming after me all the time. People wanted me to do well, and I've never had so much fun."

"Then why change who you are for them?"

Marnie looked confused. "Some of them still stuck by me after you won. Strangers I never knew before. They put faith into me, real faith, and that was pretty fuckin' nice. Don't they deserve to have a smile from me as thanks, for me showing gratitude?"

Victor took a breath, realising what he was about to say might be a gamble. "If you fake a smile for people, and it doesn't meet your eyes, people see through it a mile off. It's one of the first things I found weird about Chairman Rose, the fact he had such a bright grin and yet such empty eyes. It can't be faked or pushed all the time. Not if it's not who you are or how you feel, and you don't have to to do stuff like this."

"You seem pretty happy, Champ," Marnie said, but she was holding back a little- it was less accusation, and more waiting what Victor had to say next.

"Somehow meeting strangers and being in big crowds doesn't faze me. It might be due to my personality, or maybe due to growing up living with Gloria calling me and the neighbours wankers and twats from literally age 12."

Marnie snorted, looking away. "She's worse than me for calling people names, y'know."

"She is, and she will never have any shame. That's who she is, and people love her for it, and her confidence helped me grow my own. You don't have to be like either of us."

Victor squeezed her shoulder. "People were cheering for you because they admire your determination, your bravery to step out of the shadow of your brother and prove yourself. I admire that in you, and your bond with your Pokémon. You test me like nobody else, even G, and I wouldn't change a fuckin' thing about you."

Marnie's eyes widened. "You don't swear like that. That's my thing."

"Exactly! That's how worked up this gets me, seeing you want to pretend to be something you're not. You're more shy than me? That's no issue at all. You don't have the same goofy ass grin as Hop? Even less of an issue. You don't have to be anything other than Marnie, because she is bloody brilliant and I couldn't be happier with her. Do your thing and your thing alone!"

Victor paused, realising he'd got worked up, and let go of her shoulder. In the silence, he realised Marnie's eyes were slightly wet, and he panicked. "... Are you okay, Marnie?"

His only response was a punk cannonball to the ribs as Marnie launched herself at him, both arms wrapped around and squeezing him tightly as her head nestled into his chest. "...nk you."

"What did you say?"

Marnie sniffed, looking up at Victor and meeting his concerned gaze, misty eyed. "I said thank you, you dork. I... didn't know I needed that."

Victor's concern melted, and he wrapped himself around her too, squeezing her back as best he could through the thick leather jacket. "Hey, don't sweat it. You're cool and badass and so many amazing things besides. Sometimes I just might need to remind you of that."

She chuckled to herself. "You're so sappy. And here's me, absolute crybaby, bawlin' on you in a hotel room because that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. How embarrassin'."

Victor smiled, leaning back a little to look at her again as Morpeko's eyes welled up too. "And you've probably got snot and tears all over my favourite shirt too."

She laughed, properly this time, and punched Victor in the shoulder half-heartedly, but for the first time a proper smile lit up her face and eyes. "Stop, you shit! I can't exactly wipe it on this jacket can I?"

"Fine, I'll forgive you just this once," Victor said, chuckling. "But seriously, that smile you've got there? That's cute. And I can tell that one came from the heart, so I don't think you need to practice."

"Ugh, you get even sappier every min." Marnie flushed red, but the little smile didn't leave her face. "Y-you do know you just called me cute, Champ?"

Victor's eyes widened. "Bollocks. I did, didn't I?"

"Heh, it's alright. Just don't say it around your fan girls or one of them might get a lil jealous."

"Fan girls?"

"You don't see them? Gloria, Sonia, even a couple'a Gym Leaders. They all want a piece of you, idiot."

If Victor had been drinking he'd have spat it out. "What?! Gloria's like an angry loud-mouth sister to me, and Sonia, s-she's a Professor I do work for now, that's not what our relationship is like!"

"You might wanna tell them that with the ideas some are getting. Otherwise saying someone's cute like that and not meaning it might get their backs up."

"No no, I didn't mean that I didn't mean it, it just came at the wrong time." Victor shook his head and met Marnie's gaze. "That's actually kinda why I came."

It was her turn to look shocked. "W-what do you mean Victor?"

Victor rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, looking away. "Yeah, maybe I kinda wanted to come here as a surprise and all. Maybe I had something I've been wanting to say for a while."

"Victor..."

He smiled to himself, aware that Morpeko was looking at him as intently as her trainer. "You don't have to change a thing about who you are because people like you like that. I like you like that. And some of my best times on my journey and after have been times I've spent with you, Marnie. I guess..."

He paused, looked up, and took the leap. "I like you a lot more than just a friend, Marnie. And I don't suppose I stand much of a chance, but I ain't carrying on as Champion and all sorts without saying it. I don't wanna lose my rival, but she's far more than that to me. And I hope I am to her."

The silence that followed was brief as Marnie's eyes went wide, but it was broken by one sound.

"Peko peko mor!"

Victor looked to his right and saw Marnie's starter Pokémon somehow managing to cartwheel and clap at the same time, cheeks shining with electricity. "She seems happy, Marn?"

Marnie properly chuckled, shoulders shaking, and shook her head, the wetness of a tear appearing around her eyes again. "She's saying finally."

"Finally? What's that supposed to mean then?'

The brittle little smile grew into a proper beam unlike anything Victor had seen from his rival before. "It means I-i like you too, idiot."

"Y-you do?"

"Obviously." Marnie reached around him again and curled into Victor for a cuddle. "Nobody has ever treated me like you, and I ain't letting that go. I never thought I'd stand a chance in the face of Gloria and the others, but fuck I'm happy you said that."

Victor smiled, using his thumb to delicately wipe away the moisture under her eye without smudging her mascara. "Please, cute kickass goth queen for a girlfriend, or angry Scottish girl who even calls Opal a tart? I know where I'm happy."

Marnie looked up from her current position cuddling into Victor, met his gaze, and shut her eyes, leaning in for a really gentle kiss. He happily returned the favour, trying not to laugh as he could hear the excited chittering of Morpeko next to him, and falling even more for how delicate and sweet her lips were in contrast to how she tried to present herself. No words were needed; just this moment he had been hoping for for too long.

"She broke the kiss and looked up at him with a smirk, face still flushed red with a blush. "Just because of this, I'm still coming for your title, Champ."

Victor laughed. "Wouldn't have it any other way. Just because I want you as my girlfriend, doesn't mean you get to slack off being my rival too."

"Not a chance, you dork." Marnie squeezed his hand, her fingers so small in comparison to his, before leaning in to kiss him again...

When the door to the room burst open with a crash, making the two young teens jump as a hurricane of abuse marched right into the room. "'Mon then, what the fuck is going on 'ere then? I get told you two twats have snuck up here for a room and look what I find! When were ya gonna tell me, you wankers?!"

Victor and Marnie, still holding hands, looked at each other, as Morpeko started to turn to Hangry mode at the sight of the rampaging Gloria. "Oh shit."

This wouldn't be easy...

**(***)**

**A/N: Marnie is easily one of my favourite characters now. And Scottish Gloria is canon, as far as I'm concerned.**

**Ya boy is back writing after graduation, finding a job in law and time away- sorry, the hiatus for real life was needed. Please feel free to check out my older works (some on hiatus, some continuing soon) and stay tuned for further stories from Sword/Shield (which have really grown on me as games) and other genres besides (Breath of the Wild and more to come), as well as more and more Pokémon content.**

**As always, follows/faves/reviews ever appreciated (just no flames, yo).**

**Ya boy, out.**


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